When I was a youngling, I decided I wanted to be a writer. As a writer, I looked at words like tools in a toolbox. And I wanted the biggest toolbox possible. I set out to learn as many new words as I could.
Are you familiar with the Legion of Superheroes? They are a team of teenagers who go by names like Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, and Matter-Eater Lad (seriously). My quest to learn unfamiliar words was so successful that my equally geeky friends called me Thesaurus Lad.
So, I have experience in expanding my vocabulary. And it’s given me more than a few extra tools in my writer’s toolbox. It’s enriched my correspondence, it’s enhanced my comprehension, and it’s been fun to hit people with a zinger now and then!
Here Are the Ways I’ve Increased My Lexicon
1. I read as diversely as possible. I read science fiction and fantasy. I read philosophy and science books. I read business books and poetry. I consume old books and new books. I read several newspapers a day. The words are out there, you just have to be dialed in to catch them.
2. If I discover a word that I don’t know, I stop reading and look it up. This is easy to do if you’re reading on a device, you can click the word and the device will look up the definition. It might even keep track of the words that you highlight.
3. When I discover a new word, I use that word either in writing or while speaking during the day. It’s much easier to remember a word that you use in context.
4. If I haven’t established myself as a word nerd yet, let me kick it up a notch. I buy books with definitions in a particular field of interest, like spy terms or scientific descriptions. I find books that break down word origins. Books like that are great when you’re doing research for a novel. You’ll be doing double-duty when you read those.
5. Using a word once helps, but reviewing it and using it again moves it into your active vocabulary. If you want to go nuts, you can write a word down on a note card and the definition on the other side. Then you can run through them to brush up on them regularly.
6. Get one of those cool hardcover notebooks with a band that wraps around and keep it handy for when you find a new word. Write it down in there and you’ll have it available from then on!
I’m still doing everything I can to learn new words. Learning never stops if you’re serious about it. Over time, you’ll have a great lexicon to draw from.
But What Do Successful Writers Do?
But there’s something else I learned while improving as a writer. If you read the work by modern, successful authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, or Lee Child, then you’ll notice their writing is clear and concise. These authors are smart, and they have a wide vocabulary, but they choose readability over dazzling vocabulary every time.
My favorite authors add more poetry to their prose, and they use unusual words, but the more flourish you put in your writing, the fewer people will enjoy it. When someone hits a word that they don’t understand or miss what you’re describing, it’s going to knock them out of the experience of enjoying your story. That’s a killer. You want people to be so immersed they forget that they’re reading altogether.
My point is that even if you have a wider vocabulary you have to be cognizant of using unusual words sparingly. If you’re making people stop and pay attention to something for a reason, or you’re writing a character that speaks with a wide vocabulary, those are always valid reasons. Be aware that good writing is about the story and characters, not about the author.
In my latest novel, I used the word “scryed” in a description and I’ve had several people make note of that. They either had to look it up or they thought I didn’t understand what it meant. I used it specifically to create some magic and mystery in my book, but people are knocked out of reading for a moment. I like the effect, but I can’t do that to my readers every paragraph or they will never finish. I choose to strategically insert certain unusual words into my work and I’m comfortable with that being part of my writing voice.
I love having a rich vocabulary, and it has served me as a writer. It will help you too. Expanding the words you know is something I’ve enjoyed and has been a valuable pursuit since I was a kid.
But with great power comes great responsibility. If you wield those fancy words with abandon, you risk alienating your reader. Reining in your powerful vocabulary will serve you and your readers well.